Pages

August 30, 2013

In a sign of growing proximity in military sphere, Myanmar on Monday sought naval arms assistance from India.

The
request came from Myanmar Navy’s Commander-in-Chief Vice Admiral Thura
Thet Swe, who began a four-day visit to New Delhi by meeting with Navy
Chief Admiral D K Joshi and Defence Secretary Radha Krishna Mathur.

Vice
Admiral Swe also met Army Chief Gen Bikram Singh and Indian Air Force
Vice Chief Air Marshal Arup Raha. Among others, Myanmar sought help in
building offshore patrol vessels and supply of naval sensors and other
military equipment to build a formidable navy.
Vice Admiral Swe
discussed with Admiral Joshi various proposals for strengthening the
navy-to-navy cooperation in operations, training and material support.
He also proposed to take the existing relationship to another plane and
promote capacity building and capability enhancement, an Indian Navy
release said.

In a media interaction during a Guard of Honour for
the visiting dignitary in the South Block forecourt, Admiral Joshi
described Myanmar as “one of the closest neighbours”. “We share a land
border as well as a maritime border with them. On the navy-to-navy
front, we have had extremely cordial relations,” he said. He also noted
that the Indian Navy was looking forward to taking the existing
“excellent” interaction to the next level. Vice Admiral Swe stressed the
special ties between the navies of the two countries.

In the
second leg of his trip, he will visit the Kochi-based Southern Naval
Command on Tuesday and inspect various training schools and facilities
there. On Wednesday, he will visit the Visakhapatnam-based Eastern Naval
Command also.

Indian Navy has been assisting Myanmar to better
its capacity in the maritime warfare domain for several years now. India
has given Myanmar four Islander maritime patrol aircraft in the last
decade, despite threats from the UK of sanctions as Yangon, which was
then ruled by the military junta, was a no-go area for the western
powers.

Myanmar has in the recent years sought help in building
offshore patrol vessels (OPVs), but the Indian Government is yet to
approve supply of these naval warships. India is also yet to receive the
exact requirements of the Myanmar Navy for the OPVs, be it design or
capability specifications.
Indian Navy already trains around 50 Myanmar Navy personnel of all ranks at its training institutions.

During
the meetings, Vice Admiral Swe gave a list of naval equipment his
country might require in the near future, including items indigenously
developed by India such as maritime sensors.
Earlier this year,
the navies of both countries for the first time launched coordinated
patrols along their maritime borders in the Bay of Bengal against
poachers, smugglers and other sea criminals.
Both navies regularly
hold joint exercises in the maritime domain, including the one held off
Visakhapatnam in March, when a frigate and a corvette from Myanmar
visited the Indian port. Naypyidaw also sent at least one of its
warships to Port Blair for the biennial Milan joint exercise of navies.

Indonesia obtained approval from U. S. government on its proposal to acquire AH-64 Apache combat helicopters with procurement document signed by Indonesian Defense Minister Purnomo Yusgiantoro and visiting U.S. Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel.

"Thanks to the American government, they allow us to have the Apaches. Indonesia is thinking to build the Apache squadron in the future," Purnomo told a joint press conference held in his ministry on the sidelines of his bilateral meeting with Chuck Hagel. He added that for initial phase, Indonesia planned to build one squadron of AH 64 Apache helicopters for the Army.

The Indonesian defense minister said that the planned procurement on Apache attack helicopters was part of the country's plan to modernize its arm forces.

In its military modernization plan, Indonesia has procured Sukhoi Su-27 and Su-30 Flanker fighter jets from Russia, Leopard Main Battle Tanks from Germany, anti-insurgency planes Tucano from Brazil, trainer planes from South Korea and is now expecting delivery of 24 F-16 used planes grant from U.S and four C-130 Hercules military cargo planes from Australia.

During his bilateral meeting with Hagel, Purnono discussed development of global issues, bilateral defense relations and preparing materials for the upcoming high profile ASEAN Defense Ministers Meeting (ADMM) and ADMM Plus 8 slated for Wednesday in Brunei.

"We also discussed plans to set up Defense Institution for Reform Initiative where Indonesia and U.S. would share together, with U.S. would bring us the reform initiatives in defense sector, " Purnomo said.

The minister also said that Indonesia and U.S. will co-host Counter Terrorism Exercise (CTX) scheduled from Sept. 5 to 13 in Indonesia peacekeeping forces training center located in Sentul, West Java. The event would be participated by 18 countries.

Before his meeting with Purnomo, Chuck Hagel who arrived in Indonesian capital on Monday, made a courtesy visit to Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono in presidential palace.

August 22, 2013

Russia will deliver another batch of 12 Sukhoi Su-30MK2 fighter aircraft to Vietnam under a recent contract worth about $450 million, a defense industry source said.
The contract was reportedly signed last week, and the Su-30s are expected to be delivered to Vietnam in 2014-2015.

“A similar modification, priced at $35-37 million per plane, had been earlier sold to China,” the source said.

Russia has delivered a total of 20 Su-30 fighter jets under two previous contracts signed in 2009 and 2010.

Su-30MK2
is an advanced two-seat version of the Su-27 Flanker multirole fighter
with upgraded electronics and capability to launch anti-ship missiles.

August 21, 2013

The U.S. military is heavily dependent on Egypt to move personnel
and equipment to Afghanistan and around volatile parts of the Middle
East, complicating U.S. efforts to place pressure on the Egyptian
military in the wake of its violent crackdown on protesters.
"Egypt has been a cornerstone for the U.S. military presence in the
Middle East," said James Phillips, an analyst at the Heritage
Foundation.

During the past year, more than 2,000 U.S. military aircraft flew
through Egyptian airspace, supporting missions in Afghanistan and
throughout the Middle East, according to U.S. Central Command, which is
responsible for the region.
About 35 to 45 U.S. 5th Fleet naval ships pass through the Suez Canal
annually, including carrier strike groups, according to the
Bahrain-based fleet. Egypt has allowed U.S. warships to be expedited,
which often means getting to the head of a very long line of ships
waiting for access to the canal.
"The Egyptian military has always been good to us," said Kenneth Pollack, an analyst at the Brookings Institution.

Egyptian cooperation is particularly critical at a time when the
Pentagon is facing budget pressures and tensions with Iran remain high.
In response to the Egyptian military's bloody crackdown on
protesters, President Obama announced this week the United States would
cancel Bright Star, a training exercise with Egypt that had been
scheduled for next month. Washington has also suspended the delivery of a
shipment of F-16 fighter aircraft.
Obama stopped short of cutting off the $1.3 billion in annual
military aid it supplies to Egypt, though some in Congress, including
Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., have called for cutting the aid.
In canceling the exercise the president said he was balancing the
need to advance U.S. interests with "the principles that we believe in."

If Egypt cut off its airspace and canal access, the U.S. military
would face heavier costs and much longer transit times as it positions
troops and equipment in the Middle East.
For example, without access to the canal, which connects the
Mediterranean Sea to the Red Sea, warships would generally have to sail
around Africa in order to get to the Persian Gulf.
Analysts say Egypt's ruling military would probably not cut off air
and sea access immediately if U.S. aid were cut, but the relationship
might deteriorate rapidly, particularly if Egypt's generals feel they
don't need the aid.

Persian Gulf states may take up some of the slack if the United
States cuts its aid. Relieved that Egypt's military removed a Muslim
Brotherhood government, Gulf nations, including Saudi Arabia, have
already pledged billions of dollars to Egypt.
Historically, Egypt's leaders have been sensitive to the appearance
that outside powers are pushing them around. Egypt closed the 120-mile
long Suez Canal after the Six Day Arab-Israeli war in 1967.

August 20, 2013

GEOJE ISLAND, South Korea -- South Korea's Navy
launched its fourth 1,800-ton Type 214 submarine in a ceremony here on
Tuesday as part of efforts to boost its underwater warfare capabilities
against North Korean submarines.

The ship, named after Korea's
famous independence fighter Kim Jwa-jin (1889-1930), is the fourth of
its kind in operation since 2010. Kim is Korea's first general of
independence fighters who led the Cheongsan-ri battle to defeat 3,300
Japanese soldiers in China's northeastern region in 1920.
President Park Geun-hye, Defense Minister Kim Kwan-jin and senior
military officials attended the ribbon-cutting ceremony held at Daewoo
Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering's shipyard in Geoje Island, close
to the southern port city of Busan.

The late general's
daughter Kim Eul-dong, an incumbent lawmaker of the ruling Saenuri
Party, and actor Song Il-kook, his grandson, also attended the ceremony.
The ship can hit 300 targets simultaneously, and is equipped with
ship-to-land missiles and torpedoes as well as an advanced sonar system
for anti-submarine warfare, surveillance and reconnaissance missions.

The diesel-powered submarine is operated by Air Independent
Propulsion (AIP), which extends the ship's submerged endurance compared
to conventional submarines. The AIP system enables the crew to carry out
underwater missions for several weeks without the need to access
atmospheric oxygen.
The Navy will take delivery of the attack submarine in late 2014 and deploy it in 2015 for naval operations, officials said.
South Korea currently operates over 10 submarines, including 1,200-ton Type 209 subs and 1,800-ton Type 214 subs.
The Navy plans to acquire nine 3,000-ton level heavy-attack
submarines after 2020 with significant improvements in their radar and
armament systems compared to their predecessors.
North Korea
is known to have about 70 submarines, one of which is suspected of
having torpedoed a South Korean corvette in the tensely guarded western
sea in March 2010. A total of 46 sailors were killed in the incident.

August 7, 2013

A hybrid combat
vehicle that combines features of an airborne infantry fighting vehicle
and a helicopter will be developed for the Russian Airborne Forces
(VDV) by 2030 to meet the demands of modern warfare, the military
branch’s commander said Thursday, August 1, 2013.

August 6, 2013

Aircraft carrier INS Vikramaditya (also Gorshkov), the Indian Navy's
last remaining vessel to be delivered by a foreign shipyard, came out
with flying colours when it was operated on full throttle during
exhaustive sea trials in Barents Sea in Russia on Saturday.

The
trial feedback helped in overcoming anxiety in New Delhi about the
performance of the ship which had faltered during high speed runs last
year when its boilers faulted resulting in engines failing to produce
adequate power to propel the 45,000-ton vessel.

It was a major
setback as the delivery of the ship, India's second aircraft carrier,
was pushed by a year. After extensive repairs, the ship was back in the
sea earlier this month for final delivery trials.

Navy personnel
are onboard the vessel, keeping a hawk eye on the performance of the
carrier which is going to be the flagship of its fleet in the coming
decades.

Sources said the carrier touched top speed of around 32
knots in wind and tide condition and the trials will continue to test
capability of the retrofitted ship that will cost India around $ 2.3
billion.

The high speed trials will continue for some more days
to ensure that performance is stable. It will be followed by trial
landings by the Mig-29K fighters. The deck landings and take-offs were
performed by the Russian pilots last year as well.

The navy hopes
that its floating airbase would be ready for commissioning by the end
of this year and its formal induction will take place in the early
months of 2014.

INS Vikramaditya is now the only naval warship in
a foreign shipyard. All the remaining 41 warships are being constructed
in domestic shipyards in a major boost to the local shipbuilding
industry.

August 5, 2013

In a move to provide a vital fillip to the relationship between the
two historic neighbours – India and Myanmar – the Indian Army yesterday
handed over seven Bailey bridges to the Myanmar Army at Leimakhong army
headquarter, about 20 km north of Imphal.
The General Officer Commanding Spears Corps Lt Gen AK Sahni, handed
over the sevenBailey bridges to Commander Major General Soe Lwin
of North West Command at Leimakhong.

“We are taking up this as a Prime Minister’s initiative for the
development of border infrastructure”, said Lt Gen Sahni. “This will
help in meeting the aspiration of the people and also to ensure security
along the Indo-Myanmar border”, he also said adding, “This gesture by
India will go a long way in providing a vital fillip to the relationship
between the two historic neighbours.

The step has been taken as part of the 3rd Indo-Myanmar Regional
Border Committee Meet between India and Myanmar held under the aegis of
Spears Corps of Indian Army at Leimakhong from July 23-25. The meeting
was attended by high ranking officials from both the countries.
The Border Committee Meet is a landmark event which provides an
opportunity for representatives of security forces and government
officials of both nations to discuss and resolve crucial issues relating
to border management, bi-lateral cooperation and counter-terrorism
strategy.